When I first heard fellow sensitive and author Grace Kerina articulate how she is “built for depth, not speed,” I resonated so deeply with it, I felt it in my heart.
I thought, I am just like her. I am someone who is built for depth, not speed. How wonderful to be able to understand that, to not compete or try to rush or “hustle” to be the first one in the metaphorical line.
I would rather just be me.
Of course, sometimes, this is easier said than done. I think our conditioning can run deep. Even when we are not highly competitive (I score very low on Competition in this test to find your strengths), as highly sensitive people who feel deeply, we can also be deeply hurt by past experiences where we were compared to others and found lacking.
And so, it can start us off on a journey to fit into what’s “normal” to get that validation.
After all, not getting it hurt so much.
But part of our journey back from people pleasing to being ourselves is understanding who we are and what we bring to the table.
I love to read about Shamanism and Native American symbols, and some of the animals I resonate with are tortoises and turtles. Sometimes, I am a tortoise, taking one slow step after another. Other times, I am a sea turtle, swimming effortlessly in the deep currents of the ocean.
But almost never am I a rabbit hopping or a bird of prey swooping down on something. This has nothing to do with my physical quickness. It’s about my style, about who I am at my very essence.
I am built for depth, not speed.
Ritu Kaushal is the author of the memoir The Empath’s Journey, which amongst other things, talks about symbols that come up from our dreams — Crocodiles, Snakes, and Other Creatures that live in the shadows. Sign up for Ritu’s newsletter for two free chapters of The Empath’s Journey.
You can find The Empath’s Journey here.
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